It was cold, as it was the latter part of November. They walked to keep up their circulation until they got so tired they couldn't go any further. Then they would get on the horses and ride until they got so cold and stiff they had to get off and walk again. The family had gone on ahead and had rented a house on the Ornis Bates ranch.

        The family was soon settled and started in school in the two room schoolhouse at Marian. Ira had a teacher named Mr. Benedict whom he took a dislike to. One day Benedict threw an eraser at one of the rowdy boys, but he didn't throw straight and it hit Ira instead. Ira was upset and expected an apology. Not getting it was the excuse he needed for quitting school.

        One may imagine that being the only brother in a family of sisters he might get a little spoiled or perhaps get tired of all the females. His sister, Florence, recalls that he may have been just a little spoiled. . .he would always get one of the sisters to fetch the milk buckets for him even though he had to walk right by them to do the milking. He was gentle and played real good with them, maybe teasing just a little. One day he tied Florence to the rope which they used to hang the beef when they butchered. But he only made her hang there a little while.

Cowboy

       In the Oakley area, Ira worked for one of the Picketts, as well as others at times. He had a serious illness which almost cost him his life. He was sick for some time before they consulted a doctor, who found it was appendicitis. Immediate surgery was required and he had a difficult time in recuperating, becoming weaker all the time. About a month later, he was sent home but was so weak that he was not able to walk. He used a chair to support himself so he could sit and rest often. Uncle Dolph lived about seventy-five yards away, so he often tried going there, but had to stop two or three times and rest. He was determined to get his strength back. He tried stacking hay for Ornis Bates, still in a weakened condition with his side still draining. Even into the fall, while helping in the grain harvest, he had to keep changing the bandages. Finally, it healed, leaving a large scar. The faith and prayers of his family was an important factor in his recovery.

        After becoming completely well, Ira led a carefree life, doing what he enjoyed. He loved to work with and train horses. He had one that he trained to buck, much to his father's disapproval. He said that he thinks all the horses he ever rode since he was small, bucked him off at one time or another. One example he spoke of was riding down a steep hill with Morty Day. He turned to talk to Morty and touched the horse, Old Sport, on the shoulder with his spur. It was all it took and the next thing he knew he wasrolling out of the saddle and into the sagebrush. One horse he owned was extra good for bull-dogging. A cowboy used to borrow him to bull-dog steers in the rodeo. Ira himself sometimes worked the rodeos, acting as pick up man, retrieving the broncho or helping to hold the horses prior to being ridden. They lacked the pens, chutes, and equipment we have today, and so they would have to hold the horses down by the ears until ready to be ridden. Sometimes their hands would get numb from holding them so long.

The old Marion LDS Church

       It was during this time that Ira enjoyed the dances at Marian. It was only a couple of miles from where he lived so they often walked or rode horses; but they always went. Jode McClaws was a good buddy of his, and later became his brother-in-law. Ira had great times at the dances, and he danced with all the girls. It made no difference who was the prettiest or how they danced or how they dressed, he danced with all of them. Ira learned to be a good dancer by having some of the girls teach him new steps. While he was living in Marian he really began to realize how much the church meant to him. He mentioned that when he started attending church, his testimony was strengthened. It was there that he was ordained a Teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood by Adam Smith.

Ira at a sheep camp.

       The next few years saw an even greater increase in the Frost family. After all the girls, it was a pleasant surprise to have a baby boy arrive. They named him Earl Warner Frost. Pearl was born two years later, followed by the baby of the family, Ruby.

Ira with a beard after being out with the sheep for a long time.

        About this time, Ira took up sheep shearing. Most of the shearers were men whose principles were not based on spiritual standards. Ira's foundation in the gospel helped him from going astray during these tempting times. It was a rough life and he admits drifting somewhat away from the church. In his own words, Ira said, "I was kind a wayward then." Ira was fast at shearing. He stated it was quite a feat finding out who could shear the fastest and remarked, "One of them sort of cheated." The two competitors stayed even until the last moment, when the other fellow would whip some wool in his face so he could finish first.

        Ira worked closely with his father hauling wood and posts out of the hills from south of Goose Creek Dam or west of Oakley. They left home early in the morning, often staying till the next day. All of the chopping and the sawing was done by hand. The top quality poles were sold, while the remainder of the wood was used for cooking and heating the house in the winter, as coal was too expensive to burn. There was no job Ira was afraid to tackle. Throughout his life, he did many different jobs in order to support himself and his loved ones. He helped construct the Goose Creek Dam and worked on the “cottonwood feeders”, the ditches on the flat between Oakley and Burley. Most of one winter was spent driving down to the flat putting in checks, pillars, and other equipment for the irrigation system.

Ira in 1917

The Frost Family – 1917 Back row: Faye, Cora,Ira, Nettie, Christena, and Elva. Middle: Florence. Front row: Chauncy, Earl, Pearl, Lonevie, and Ruby. The sheering crew on a wagon load of wool sacks.

Ira (right) on a hunting trip Ira on his horse, Butch up on Trapper Creek Ira on his horse, Butch up on Trapper Creek